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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2010-10-25

The Cost Of Bad Strategy 

Hey Ken Buck: you should be winning this race by 10 points. In fact, you were winning this race by 10 points just 2 weeks ago. So what happened?

Oh, yeah. You let yourself get sucked into a debate on social issues. THEY WON the battleground because you didn't innoculate yourself against their attacks and then you let David Gregory suck you in on his goofy question and then you still aren't reminding voters that they usually aren't talking about social issues when they're out of a job but . . .

but you didn't. And now it's a toss-up. Now it's close. And as we all learned from Washington state and from Minnesota and from near-misses in Florida and South Dakota . . .

if it's close and there's a Democrat SecState, they'll steal it.

I don't mean to be a pessimist, but when the AP is still showing a 7-point Republican advantage in the generic ballot, how is it possible that Colorado is going to miss the wave?
Posted by: Michael / 10/25/2010 12:19:00 AM

2010-10-19

The Mistake Ken Buck ACTUALLY Made 

The "professional journalist" class is making great hay out of Ken Buck saying that being gay is a choice . . . or something like that. That is not, however, what Ken Buck did wrong.

The correct answer to David Gregory's stupid question would have gone something like this:

Well, David, that's an interesting question. At a time of 9.6% unemployment, 17% underemployment, rapidly approaching fiscal insolvency, a heightened threat level for our allies from al-Qaeda, and the imminent production of nuclear weaponry in Iran, I find it fascinating that you want to talk about my views on homosexuality.

I can tell you, David, that Americans are not talking about this; I know for certain that Coloradans are not talking about my views on homosexuality around their dinner tables. They're talking about whether they're going to have their jobs in another six months, in spite of Sen. Bennett and the Democrats spending $787 billion that hasn't stemmed the tide of unemployment. They're talking about being upside-down on their home mortgages, thanks to the CRA, courtesy of Democrats, and softened lending rules mandated to Freddie and Fanny by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. They're talking about how they're going to get by when the federal government takes an extra $150 out of their paychecks on January 1st and their employers start charging an extra $125 a month for their health care plans, thanks to Sen Bennett and the monstrosity that is Obamacare.

David . . .David . . . please let me finish. I thought this was a debate between me and my opponent, not me and you.

Coloradans don't care that much about my views on homosexuality, but I know why you, and the Beltway media, my opponent and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign want to talk about this and abortion: because you will all do anything to avoid having to talk about the fact that my opponent voted for a $787 billion stimulus that did not accomplish what they said it would, or the buyout of the auto industry which Coloradans opposed, or the fact that health care reform has turned out to be a debacle that got jammed down our throats against our wishes by my opponent, Senator Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and President Obama. But I think Coloradans are smart enough to see through the fog and the misdirection--they know its time to bring Senator Bennett back to Colorado for good. So you can try to provide cover for Senator Bennett--I'm going to keep talking about what matters to Coloradans.


Once he accepted the unspoken premise that his views on homosexuality were at all important in this debate, he was lost. He needed to shut Gregory down and get back on the offensive--not dodge the question: flat out refuse to get bogged down in the trivialities. THAT was his mistake.

And a smarter answer, at any rate, would have been "I don't know, and I don't think anybody really does know" But he shouldn't have let himself get sucked into it to begin with.

Bad Republican. Bad, bad, stupid Republican.
Posted by: Michael / 10/19/2010 12:00:00 AM

2010-10-03

Here's Where the Media Really Shows Their Bias 

Like that's a short subject, right?

But, really, I've started to think that media bias is fas less in the questions that they ask than it is in the questions they either selectively ask or don't ask at all. For example:

The Denver Post/9News have a new poll out today done by Survey USA. Among other things, it shows that John Hickenlooper still holds a commanding lead, with 46% to Tom Tancredo's 34% and Dan Maes 15%. Here's what's wrong: in every poll early in the process in which Dan Maes was ahead of Tancredo, the media/pollsters would ask about the scenario if Tancredo dropped out; now that Tancredo's comfortably ahead of Maes, nobody is bothering to ask that question.

I think they don't want to know the answer.

I'd bet Adam Schrager would tell you that they don't ask that question because that's not the way the ballot reads, and they prefer to deal in reality. But that doesn't answer why they would do that a couple months ago.

Consider the consequences to this race if they asked the question and found out that in that scenario Hick and Tancredo were neck-and-neck. The pressure on Dan Maes to drop out would become astronomical! Not only that, the momentum swing towards Tancredo would be palpable, and the complexion of the race would change overnight.

And then the media would have to write something other than "Republicans cannibalize themselves" as their meme this cycle.

And then they would have to prepare to write about the "surprise" Tancredo victory when thousands of Maes supporters arrive in the voting booth and consider their vote more carefully.

This stuff seems obvious--why don't the "professional journalists" see it that way?
Posted by: Michael / 10/03/2010 11:05:00 PM

2010-10-02

Dan Maes Needs To Take A Lesson From Paul Loscocco 

Who is Paul Loscocco? He is a former Republican who was running as the Independant Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate in Massachussetts. Friday morning he made an extraordinary statement (hat tip Hot Air):

“I cannot sit idly by as my friends and supporters cast their votes for my ticket, knowing that the best chance to defeat Governor Patrick is with Charlie Baker,” Loscocco will say at a press conference later this morning. “I cannot and will not let my ego get in the way of doing what is right for Massachusetts.

Amen, brother.

Now that a Fox News poll has Maes running at 15%, while Tom Tancredo is down to John Hickenlooper by just 10 points, it would seem obvious that this political novice and self-aggrandizing serial liar is the only thing standing between a Colorado-style reprieve from four years of Sanctuary City Hick.

DAN MAES CAN NOT WIN!! And he is not even the only or best alternative.

However, I am not holding my breath on that one. A "novice, self-aggrandizing serial liar" is not likely to conclude on his own that he should do the right thing.

But I'm optimistic that Tambor Williams can be pursuaded to see the light and abandon this Sisyphaen endeavor. It may preserve whatever future she sees for herself in Colorado politics.
Posted by: Michael / 10/02/2010 10:44:00 PM

The Lesson We Need to Learn From Gloria Allred 

Yeah, Gloria Allred is a media-hungry Democrat shill who has proven before that she's willing to do anything to take down a Republican front-runner.

But that's the point.

If Republican front-runners (like Ken Buck, Ryan Frazier and Cory Gardner) aren't prepared for the mud that's headed their way in the next two weeks, they're just naive.

There's a tidal wave comin', but it's not the electoral one we're all hoping for.

It's going to be story after story, day after day, unsubstantiated claim after ridiculous charge that the Republicans kill babies, kick puppies, sell drugs and use the money to buy male prostitutes. And the "professional journalists" will wring their hands at how ugly things have become and promise full investigations--investigations which will, no doubt, conclude that the Republican "defendant" is completely innocent . . . on November 5th.

I would hope that some umbrella organization would make a massive ad buy in the next two weeks to put on screen some credible, beloved Republican (like Bill Armstrong or Hank Brown) who will give an "innoculation" endorsement. Something along the lines of:

In the next few weeks, you will be inundated by ugly political advertising by innocent sounding groups like "Moving Colorado Forward" or "The Bighorn Foundation," along with, no doubt, some wild accusations that will get front page coverage and lead the evening newscast. These groups, who hide the sources of their money like a protective father hides his 16-yr old daughter, are going to allege any manner of outrageous claims about Republican candidates for office in Colorado. In the past, they've said Republicans were in favor of breast cancer; this time, they'll probably say Republicans love raw liver and kick puppies.

Why do they do this? Well, for one thing, it works. They've done it in the last three elections, and it's worked every time. They also have a lot of money to burn. A handful of very rich, very radical, and very hidden figures have bankrolled these attacks to make sure that the government they've bought over the last six years STAYS bought.

But, more importantly, it keeps them from having to defend their record. They think they can keep you talking about minutae so that you WON'T talk about deficits, jobs, security, a broken education system, and freedom--all of which they don't have any ideas about.

Colorado deserves better. Colorado deserves honest campaigns that come from the candidates, not from special interests that hide in loopholes in the election laws.

This November, reject politics as usual. Ignore these attacks, and do your own research. Read a candidate's website, or call them yourself to find out what they really think. And then vote on issues, ideas, and values.

That's how you end politics as usual.

That's a little crude, but you get the idea. Gloria Allred was just the first one out of the gate--there are going to be more, and it is going to get really ugly. I'm not saying Republicans need to get down into the slop with the Left on this one . . .

but they'd better put on their wetsuits and get ready to swim!

Posted by: Michael / 10/02/2010 10:18:00 PM

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